First Impressions and the Cover of the Book: Why Balance is Key

Sometimes a book’s cover really is what the book is all about. Other times, however, the first impression cannot possibly be the only one, as people often grow and improve themselves over time.

— Samantha Corral

As soon as I turned the last page of Mary Shelley’s legendary tale of Frankenstein, my staring contest with the computer screen began. It was a simple assignment that required students to choose between two age-old sayings, in reference to Shelley’s book - “don’t judge a book by its cover” and “the first impression is the last impression." At the time, I could not choose. Instead, I delicately danced around the question and pirouetted into a Switzerland-esque stance on the matter – “why can’t we just have it all” was essentially my thesis. Despite failing to answer the question directly, I got an A- on the assignment and a vote of confidence scribbled in college-professor red suggesting: “You’ll figure it out one day.”

Fast forward to present day, AYS Samantha and my “why can’t we just have it all” stance has become the building block of my professional career in the hospitality industry. Across all of our markets, At Your Service employs thousands of people, each different and special in their own ways. Some people are masters at the art of fine dining and humble service, while others make up for their lesser experience with flawless presentation and eager attitude. This lends to what I believe Shelley was trying to accomplish through Frankenstein – she wanted to make readers feel the conflict that is spawned from subscribing to one mindset over the other. Her intentions, I believe, were to prove that balance is key. Sometime's a book's cover really is what the book is all about. Other times, however, the first impression cannot possibly be the only one, as people often grow and improve themselves over time. Some staff join our team, seasoned as can be on day one. They are what their covers said they would be. Others, over time, are trained to join the ranks of these AYS lifers as their skill level graduates to match the excellent presentation and good attitude that they had from the beginning. And for that, we are thankful to have the first impression not be the only one. Neither type leaves us exactly how they started and both are necessary to who we are as a company.

Much like Mary Shelley’s man made of many parts, At Your Service operates only due to all of the different gears that compose it’s nearly thirty years of success. And through these different gears, we are able to take pride in the service we bring to your table. Turns out, not only can you really just have it all – you need to. So, with that, I counter my college professor’s red pen vote of confidence that I will “figure it out one day.” Because, turns out, I already had.